The Punjab Police on Saturday saw its third Director General with the appointing senior Indian Police Service Officer Viresh Kumar Bhawra to the post. The order came just before the announcement of the dates for the Assembly Elections in Punjab.
Bhawra, who was the DGP of Punjab Home Guards, replaced officiating DGP Siddharth Chattopadhyaya.
The Charanjit Singh Channi Government selected the 1987 batch officer Bhawra out of a panel of three officers shortlisted by the UPSC.
To make Punjab clean, green, and pollution-free, Punjab Transport Department has prepared a draft of a new Electric Vehicle policy to check environmental pollution in the state. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann gave nod to the draft policy, which envisages registration of 25 percent more electric vehicles as compared to the previous year.
Under the new draft policy, a major thrust will be laid in cities like Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Patiala, and Bathinda that cater to more than 50 percent vehicles in the state. As per this draft, in terms of electric charging points will be set up across the State for private and public electric vehicles.
This draft policy also stipulates cash incentives to the people opting for electric vehicles in the state. First one lakh buyers of the electric vehicles will get a financial incentive up to Rs 10,000. First 10,000 buyers of electric auto-rickshaws and e-rickshaw will get a financial incentive up to Rs 30,000. First 5,000 e-cart buyers will get an incentive up to Rs 30,000. First 5,000 buyers of Light commercial vehicles will get an incentive between up to Rs 30,000-Rs50,000, said the state Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar.
Provision has also been made to waive off registration fee and road tax on the registration of these electric vehicles, said the Minister adding that peoples views will be taken before finalizing this policy.
Similarly, taking a leap towards hassle-free e-Governance Services, the state Transport Department has launched an online driving license facility for the people thereby facilitating the citizens to get learners driving license on a single click of their computer, mobile, tablet, or laptop.
Citing the huge potential of Amritsar in religious tourism, Channi expressed satisfaction that Punjab has been ranked No. 1 in terms of development in tourism sector. He also lauded the PITEX for its yeomans service in offering a big platform to the businessmen of the state, especially the region and ensuring presence of five countries viz Iran, Egypt, Afghanistan, Turkey and Thailand, in the Expo.
To serve and rehabilitate the ex-servicemen, war widows, handicapped ex-servicemen and their dependents, Punjab Government on Friday launched an online portal to enable them to avail of various types of https://exam.pscnotes.com/state-Services“>State Services while sitting at Home.
DEFENCE Services Welfare Minister Fouja Singh Sarari while launching the new web portal eSenani, saidthe AAP Government has implemented decision to provide compensation to the tune of Rs one crore each to the dependents of martyr defence servicemen who have laid their lives during different military operations in the country. In addition to this, various welfare schemes and financial support have also been made available to different categories of ex-servicemen, war widows, ex-servicemen widows and their dependent families, he added.
Giving details about e-Senani, Sarari said that earlier, the ex-servicemen in their autumn of life and debility has to visit the concerned District Security Services Welfare Offices to avail beneficiary services but now they can get any service online by uploading the required documents sitting at their home or abroad. Besides, the ex-servicemen and their dependents can apply for jobs advertised by the State Government for the defence services categories, he added.
Moving up from rank 66 in the last Swacch Sarvekshan, Chandigarh secured the 12th cleanest city tag in Swachh Survekshan 2022 and was adjudged the Fastest Moving Capital city in the Country.
Chandigarh, one of the countrys best-planned cities, has seen a huge improvement from its 66th position in the Swachh Survekshan 2021, when it lacked proper garbage disposal and did not score well in citizens feedback on how clean the city was. Learning from the drawbacks, the Corporation this time put concerted efforts in these segments and managed to secure the 12th spot.
In this years Swachh Survekshan, the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs gave more weightage to Service Level Progress component (sustainable sanitation and safaimitra Suraksha, Segregated collection of waste and processing and disposal) category by allotting 40 percent marks, a major criteria in deciding the outcome of Chandigarhs ranking.
The government has procured 2.87 lakh tonnes of paddy so far in the first few days of the commencement of 2021-22 kharif Marketing season, with maximum quantity purchased from Punjab and Haryana, the Union Food Ministry said.
The ministry had to reschedule paddy procurement from October 3 in Punjab and Haryana due to farmers’ protest. Earlier, the procurement was postponed in these two agrarian states till October 11 in view of high moisture content in paddy crop because of unseasonal rains.
Paddy is procured at minimum support price (MSP) directly from farmers by centre’s nodal agency (Fci) along with state agencies in key growing states.
According to the ministry, paddy procurement for the 2020-21 marketing year has almost concluded and a total of 894.24 lakh tonnes of paddy has been from both kharif (summer) and rabi (winter) seasons, surpassing the previous purchase of 770.93 lakh tonnes in 2019-20 marketing year.
The Minister, sharing details, said that each system would cost around Rs 25,000 which would comprise an amplifier, a mike, a selective classroom multi-switch, individual speakers and required wire.
After the installation of the broadcasting systems in the first phase, feedback will be obtained from the school staff regarding the efficiency, required updates, and effect on the Learning process of the students. After evaluating the feedback, the Education Department would take the decision regarding the installation of this system in all government schools.
Social Security, Women and Child Development Minister Dr Baljit Kaur instructed all District Social Security Officers in the state to collect income documents from original old-age pension beneficiaries within 15 days to ensure that the pension benefits are provided exclusively to those who are genuinely in need and eligible.
The Minister said that during pension-related actions taken, it was discovered that out of the J Form holders, 63,424 individuals are receiving old-age pension from the Department despite having an annual income exceeding Rs 60,000. However, for old-age pension, the beneficiarys annual income should not exceed Rs 60,000.
The Minister emphasized that the Punjab government, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, is dedicated to creating a Corruption-free state.
Many pensioners in the Department are farmers. The Punjab State Mandi Board issues J Forms to farmers, providing information about their income from crop sales. To accurately determine their annual income, the Department compared the data with that of the Punjab State Mandi Board, she added.
The Minister highlighted that as per the policy, pension benefits should only be granted to individuals who genuinely need and meet the specified conditions. Once the department identifies such individuals, the Minister has instructed district officials to issue a 15-day notice to the concerned persons. Within 15 days of receiving the notice, beneficiaries should submit their income documents, such as income certificates or other necessary paperwork, to the District Social Security Officer’s office in their district.
The Minister further stated that a survey of old-age pension beneficiaries was conducted by the department through Anganwadi workers in Punjab in July 2022, which resulted in the identification of 90,248 deceased beneficiaries.
To increase green cover across the state, Punjab government has decided to plant fructiferous saplings in states government schools. Under this campaign, to be launched across the state on July 15, 2022, more than 1.25 lakh fructiferous saplings will be planted in government schools in the first phase.
The states Minister Fauja Singh Sarari said that the State Government was paying special attention towards crop diversification to further increase the farmers income and get them out of the vicious circle of wheat and paddy.
Regarding second phase of the campaign, the Minister said that fructiferous saplings would be planted along the water distributaries and roads across the State. Further care of these saplings is to be ensured by the Horticulture Department and responsibility of the concerned officials would be fixed, he said.
The Minister also reviewed the working of Horticulture Department and directed the officials to chalk out the plan to set up orchards on abandoned government land.
Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament Vikramjit Singh Sahney has announced the creation of an Education fund with an opening contribution of 100,000 to support students from Punjab enrolled for higher studies at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge.
Sahney, who was in London for an event organised by Sikh Forum International on Monday, said the fund would be coordinated by the World Punjabi Organisation in the UK under the chairmanship of the Indian High Commissioner to the UK, Vikram Doraiswami.